Cost & Financial Aid

The Duke Commitment

Duke is strongly committed to its financial aid program and the principle that a student's financial resources should not be a barrier to enrollment. We pledge to meet full demonstrated financial need for every one of our students. For U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and undocumented or DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students, Duke's admissions policy is "need-blind," which means that applicants are accepted based on their merits, regardless of their ability to pay for college. If you are admitted to Duke, we want to make it possible for you to be here. Our goal is to allow every admitted student to choose us.

2017-2018 Estimated Cost of Attendance

Tuition & Fees $53,744

Room & Board $15,500

Books & Personal Expenses $3,466

Estimated Cost of Attendance $72,710

Related Resources

Types of Undergraduate Financial Aid

Duke’s financial support program seeks to ensure that all students accepted to the university are able to take advantage of all the programs Duke has to offer, regardless of their financial circumstances. Please visit the Karsh Office of Undergraduate Financial Support for more information on financial support at Duke.

We view our financial aid program as an investment in students and their futures; that's why we are fully committed to our need-based financial aid program. Over half of our undergraduates receive some form of financial assistance.

We admit U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and undocumented or DACA students without regard to their financial circumstances or aid eligibility, and we meet 100% of demonstrated need for these students throughout their undergraduate enrollment. For instructions on how to apply for need-based financial aid, visit the Karsh Financial Support Office website. If family circumstances change, students who did not apply for need-based aid when they applied may apply at any time during their four years at Duke.

We seek a diverse student body and are committed to ensuring that all students can take full advantage of the Duke experience.

Duke University will meet full demonstrated financial need for a limited number of international students. Each year Duke expects to enroll 20-25 first-year foreign citizens who receive need-based financial aid and/or merit-based scholarships. There is no need-based aid for international transfer applicants.

There are two applicant pools for foreign nationals: those not applying for financial aid (who will be considered for admission along with U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and undocumented or DACA students), and those applying for financial aid (who will be considered in a separate process for a limited number of places in the entering class). Also, foreign citizens who do not apply for financial aid initially may not subsequently apply for financial aid during their time at Duke unless they become U.S. citizens or permanent residents. For instructions on how to apply for need-based financial aid, visit the Karsh Financial Support Office website.

Individuals, foundations and corporations have endowed a limited number of merit scholarships at Duke to recognize outstanding students. Many of these scholarships are based solely upon achievement, while others consider financial need as a determining factor. The criteria for each scholarship have been determined by the benefactors. All applicants to Duke are considered for all applicable merit scholarships. No separate application is required.

Duke's newest merit scholarship, the David M. Rubenstein Scholars Program, was established in 2016 for exceptional first-generation, low income students. The first cohort was made up of 30 students, and the program hopes to double the second cohort to 60 students for the class entering in fall 2017. To learn more about this opportunity, visit the David M. Rubenstein Scholars Program website.

While Duke is able to offer limited merit scholarships, the university's primary commitment is to provide need-based financial aid in order to enable all qualified students, regardless of financial circumstance, to receive a high-quality education. Applicants should investigate local and other external scholarship sources such as business, religious, civic and fraternal organizations.

Duke offers Division I athletic scholarships in all sports with the exception of men's fencing and wrestling. To contact a coach directly, call the athletics office at 919-684-2120. Learn more about our varsity athletic programs.

Duke provides Army, Navy and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs for interested students, all of which offer the possibility of financial aid in the form of scholarships and other aid options. For more information on each program, including how to become a Reserve Officer candidate, please visit theNaval ROTC, Army ROTC, and Air Force ROTC websites.